Watch a paralyzed Marine walk to receive his Bronze Star with help from robotic braces

Watch a paralyzed Marine walk to receive his Bronze Star with help from robotic braces
(Image credit: Screenshot)

Captain Derek Herrera fulfilled a promise on Friday that he made to himself, leaving the Marines after eight-and-a-half years the same way he entered: Walking tall.

Herrera was paralyzed in 2012 when a sniper's bullet struck him while he was serving in Afghanistan; since then, he has become a strong advocate for veterans' rights, while also attending the University of California, Los Angeles, as he works on a master's degree in business administration, CBS News reports.

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Sarah Eberspacher

Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.